Formula One - General News and Updates

**genius** · 16th July 2006, 10:17 PM

Originally Posted by Raikkonen

I turned off the Tv after 20 secs
Both Mclarens went off..
Ron Dennis

mclaren is facing lots of reliability problems this year.. kimi is really unlucky...

**Google Adsense** · 16th July 2006 10:17 PM

**ajithfederer** · 31st July 2006, 06:03 AM

SCHUMI HATRICK CRUSHES ALONSO LEAD

Michael Schumacher strolled to his third straight win and his fifth of the season to cut Fernando Alonso's lead by six points to just eleven, with six rounds still to go. Felipe Massa crowned another perfect result for Ferrari with second place while Kimi Raikkonen drove hard all afternoon to salvage third. Alonso could do no better than fifth.

Kimi Raikkonen made a perfect start from pole to lead Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa into the first corner. Fisichella and Alonso got up past Button, but the Honda driver fought back down the inside of the hairpin and retook fourth place, relegating Fisichella to fifth and Alonso running wide off the track and scramblingback on in sixth.

Behind the leading action, Ralf Schumacher tagged the back of Coulthard under braking for the hairpin but both managed to continue running - Ralf forced to pit for repairs.

In the first lap fun, Rosberg spun off backwards at the entry to the stadium section and slammed into the tyre barrier, marking an early end to his afternoon.

By lap five things had calmed down and Raikkonen led Michael Schumacher, Massa, Button, Fisichella, Alonso, Webber and Barrichello.

Raikkonen pitted early on lap ten, the McLaren team apparently had a problem with a sensor while refueling his before qualifying and didn't get enough in the tank. He rejoined the race in eighth and released Schumacher and Massa into the lead.

Button pitted on lap 16 from third - rejoining behind Raikkonen but passing the Finn with relative ease. Felipe Massa was the first Ferrari to pit on lap 20 while Michael Schumacher made his first stop from the lead on lap 21.

The middle part of the race settled and the only major highlights came when Rubens Barrichello's Honda engine exploded and when Jacques Villeneuve lost his BMW in the final corner of lap 32 and ploughed head first into the tyre barrier.

On lap 39 Webber provided entertainment when he barged past Fisichella for fourth place as Michael Schumacher continued to lead Massa and Button a further 25-seconds down.

By lap 40 Alonso was sixth, behind Fisichella who was struggling. The team took the moment to pull the Italian into the pits to prevent him holding up the Spaniard. Ferrari followed with Massa on lap 44 and Schumacher on lap 45, but the Italian cars were just cruising.

Lap 55 saw Raikkonen make his third stop of the afternoon and rejoin the track alongside Webber. The pair tussled into turn two, Raikkonen winning the battle for fourth down the inside. The Finn was on a charge and it took him just one more lap to close up on Button and blast by on the exit of the hairpin.

Webber's strong drive came to naught again as his car slowed and he crawled back to the garage as the engine spluttered to a slow and grizzly death. There was also a late fright for Alonso as he got sideways on the entry to the stadium section and barely held onto his Renault and fifth position. Alonso also strangely set his best lap of the race, on the penultimate lap of the afternoon.

Michael Schumacher cruised home to his 89th career victory on home soil, his fifth win of the season. Felipe Massa completed a perfect one-two for Ferrari by bringing his car home a steady second. Kimi Raikkonen's determined drive earned him third place ahead of Jenson Button.

Despite his late scare, Alonso held on to fifth but Schumacher succeeded in cutting the Spaniard's championship lead by six points to just eleven with six races remaining. Giancarlo Fisichella limped home in sixth, keeping Jarno Trulli's Toyota at bay in seventh. Christian Klien claimed the final point for Red Bull in eighth.

http://www.f1racing.net/en/news.php?newsID=125738

**ajithfederer** · 2nd August 2006, 09:45 PM

http://www.formula1.com/news/4740.html

check out ICE-MAN KIMI RAIKKI'S interview here....

**ajithfederer** · 4th August 2006, 09:39 AM

http://www.f1racing.net/en/news.php?newsID=126202

Ice man Kimi Raikkonen moving 2 Ferrari from 2007

'Raikkonen signed five-year deal at Ferrari'
03 August 2006
According to Finnish tabloid Ilta-Sanomat, Ferrari has exercised its option on Kimi Raikkonen to race for the Italian team next season. This means the Finn would have signed a five-year-contract.

The story is based on the Finnish tabloid's reliable sources, which are close to Kimi Raikkonen. According to the source Raikkonen's contract is worth around 160 million euros and thus the 26-year-old would earn 32 million euros a year.

Michael Schumacher said in Hockenheim he will announce his future plans in Monza and it is very likely that Raikkonen's plans will be announced shortly after Schumacher's decision was announced.

**Raikkonen** · 4th August 2006, 09:41 AM

This is a great news..
Thats where he belongs too.. a champion to a champion team..

**ajithfederer** · 4th August 2006, 10:03 AM

yes of course..........

welcome back raikki.......pls do often contribute 2 the thread.......

Originally Posted by Raikkonen

This is a great news..
Thats where he belongs too.. a champion to a champion team..

**ajithfederer** · 5th August 2006, 12:37 AM

http://www.f1racing.net/en/news.php?newsID=126427

Fernando Alonso was penalised by the Stewards on Friday for dangerous driving in front of Robert Doornbos during free practice. Doornbos was, according to Alonso, blocking him and thus when Alonso was able to overtake him he deliberately went slowly in front of Doornbos.

Apart from the Spaniards incident with Doornbos Alonso also overtook him under yellow flags. Both incidents will cost him one second each during qualifying.

For Alonso it will be almost impossible now to make it to the final knock-out round in qualifying with a total of two seconds being added on his qualifying time.

**ajithfederer** · 6th August 2006, 01:03 AM

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/moto...ne/5248048.stm

Schumi woe as Raikkonen nets pole

GRID POSITIONS
Michael Schumacher
1 K Raikkonen (McLaren)
2 F Massa (Ferrari)
3 R Barrichello (Honda)
4 P De La Rosa (McLaren)
5 M Webber (Williams)
6 R Schumacher (Toyota)
7 G Fisichella (Renault)
8 J Trulli (Toyota)

Hungarian GP, 6 August, 1300 BST

Kimi Raikkonen took pole for Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix as title rivals Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso felt the effects of time penalties.

Raikkonen stole the show in the dying moments of qualifying with a time of one minute 19.599 seconds.

Ferrari's Felipe Massa was second, while team-mate Schumacher had to settle for 11th after a two-second penalty given after Saturday practice.

Renault's Alonso starts 15th after incurring the same penalty on Friday.

Alonso, who has seen his world championship lead whittled down to just 11 points by Schumacher, was penalised for a deliberate brake test and for overtaking under a flag during second practice.

Schumacher looked set to inflict more points damage on the world champion this weekend before also being docked two seconds for overtaking two cars under red flags during Saturday's final practice.

Whatever anyone says, it is still a pole and I think I can have a very good race

Kimi Raikkonen

"I'm incredibly angry, but I have to blame myself," said the German, while Ferrari's technical director Ross Brawn added: "I don't think there is an explanation - he made a mistake."

Schumacher starts Sunday's race four places ahead of Alonso, having benefited from Jenson Button's practice misery.

The Englishman took 14th place in qualifying following a 10-place penalty for an unscheduled engine change after his Honda burst into flames in final practice.

"It's very frustrating that I will be starting from 14th on the grid because of the engine failure in the morning, even more so as the car is looking good," said Button.

"This is a hard circuit to overtake on but I'm going to go out there, enjoy the race and see what we can do."

Raikkonen's last-gasp lap denied Massa his maiden pole position by 0.267secs but the Brazillian still lines up second.

Afterwards Raikkonen refused to let Schumacher's time penalty overshadow his 11th career pole.

But Raikkonen said: "Whatever anyone says, it is still a pole and I think I can have a very good race but you never know what's going to happen in F1.

"It was tough and I don't think it makes any difference about Michael - if you don't respect the rules that's what happens in racing."

Rubens Barrichello gave Honda hope of a podium return with a late lap to take third, while the other McLaren of Pedro de la Rosa is fourth.

Williams' Mark Webber briefly held second before slipping down the order to fifth on the grid, with Ralf Schumacher's Toyota starting alongside in sixth.

Meanwhile, Jacques Villeneuve's replacement at BMW Sauber - Robert Kubica - out-qualified team-mate Nick Heidfeld on his way to ninth place on the grid.

And Scotsman David Coulthard will have his work cut out if he is to score points from 12th in his Red Bull.

American Scott Speed was forced to drop a place on the grid to 20th after impeding another driver in qualifying.

Race stewards said in a statement that the Toro Rosso driver had been stripped of his three fastest qualifying lap times, allowing Super Aguri's Takuma Sato to mov up to 19th.